


may the bridges i have burned light my way back home

by queen_ofdisaster



Category: Professional Wrestling, World Wrestling Entertainment
Genre: F/M, Not Kayfabe Compliant, a lot of kayfabe things happen in this, and i'm pulling other kayfabe things, but i'm also probably going off course a bit, he's not going anywhere, in fact the whole thing is based off of kevin turning on sami, like sami's shoulder injury that had him out for forever? nah, sami is too important to the plot to be away like that
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-12-05
Updated: 2016-12-05
Packaged: 2018-09-06 16:33:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,675
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8760571
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/queen_ofdisaster/pseuds/queen_ofdisaster
Summary: Once upon a time, Kevin, Sami, and Safiya were as close as could be. They were a trio. A package deal. Nowadays... not so much. Kevin and Sami's decade long friendship came crumbling in a violent fashion, and Safiya and Kevin's potential relationship went down with it.





	

**Author's Note:**

> "Michelle, don't you have like... 2 other stories you need to fucking update? Why are you starting this?"
> 
> Because... *enter that gif of Ben Wyatt saying "because..." and then running away here*

_**January 2013** _

 

* * *

 

_The tears from saying goodbye and sending Sami off to Florida have just barely dried, and Safiya already sees another tearful farewell in her future. She glances at the man beside her in the car, as he rounds a corner and the airport comes into clear view. She's managed to hold back her tears while saying her goodbyes to her parents and all the friends she might not see for awhile, but she knows if Kevin cries, she won't be able to contain herself._

_The past month had been pretty overwhelming, and a lot of big opportunities had come up for both of the Zayn siblings. Sami had signed a WWE contract, had his final indy show and a few days ago had made the move from Montreal to Florida. Now Safiya is hopping on a plane and leaving the country as well. For her, it's off to the UK. The plane she's about to board will take her to London, and then she'll be all over. Her brother starting the next chapter of his career inspired Saf to finally take the offers she'd been getting to tour outside of the US and Canada. There are a lot of wrestlers and promotions in the UK she's been dying to work with, and she finally agreed to do a few tours. At the least, she knows she'll be there for nine months. Potentially more if other things come up, which she's sure they will. Sami's doing bigger and better things, and Saf wants to do the same. Maybe it's not quite the same level, but it's still exciting for her._

_Safiya doubts this is all as exciting for Kevin, who's having to watch not one but two of his closest friends leave Montreal in the span of less than 30 days. She had an up close and personal view of both his emotional goodbye to Sami in the ring after their final match together earlier that month, as well as their goodbye when Kevin and Safiya took Sami to the airport. It feels a lot like déjà vu, actually, the car slowing to a stop as they reached the airport, the almost sickly feeling in Safiya's stomach, and that look on Kevin's face that makes her think he'll cry now like he did then._

_His feelings are written all over his face for once, and she doesn't have to try too hard to attempt to read him. He looks crestfallen. She sees sadness. Dread. Maybe even a little envy, if she's being honest._

_Kevin stops the car, but neither of them make a move to get out just yet. He sits in silence, hands on the steering wheel and his eyes glued there as well. Safiya continues to study his facial expression, along with his facial features. She has a feeling she'll miss being able to see him in the flesh. They've already made promises to text and call, but nothing beats the real thing._

_"You really have to leave?" Kevin asks, breaking the silence. He continues before she can respond. "I know you have to eventually, but right now? You can't delay it for another day?"_

_She takes a moment to smile fondly at him. She feels the urge to reach out and take one of his hands from the wheel and hold it in hers. Sometimes she gives in to those urges. Usually she waits for him to initiate contact like that. Today, because she doesn't know when she'll be able to do it again, she gives in. Her fingertips gently graze his knuckles and he takes the hint, dropping his hand to the console between their seats, and their hands intertwine._

_"I have a show in 16 hours," she sighs. "My flight's seven. I think I better go."_

_Kevin sighs now. "Yeah, you better," he agrees. "I just... would rather you not."_

_"Is this your way of saying you're gonna miss me?" she asks, teasingly._

_He cracks a smile and she feels warmth spread throughout her chest._

_"Maybe," he says. He gives her a hand a gentle squeeze, but before she can truly appreciate the little gesture, his hand's gone and he's opening his car door._

_She mimics his actions, getting out of the car and following him to the trunk of the car, where he begins unloading her bags for her. She goes back to watching him again. There's not much she dislikes about Kevin, but this was certainly something. It was his ability to end a moment so quickly. Things could be so hot and cold with him, and she's never been sure if he does it on purpose or not._

_Kevin closes the trunk with a loud slam, her bags on the curb now. Safiya picks up her backpack and slips it over her shoulders, adjusting it before pulling the handles out of her rolling suitcases, readying them. She doesn't leave just yet, lingering to say her final goodbye to Kevin._

_"All set," he says, his hands in his pockets. He eyes her bags at their feet, then meets her gaze. "You're gonna do great, Saf."_

_She smiles up at him. "Thanks, Kev. I'm nervous. I've always traveled with either you or Sami. This is pretty out of my comfort zone."_

_"Don't be nervous. You don't need us with you. You're great on your own."_

_That's comforting to hear, and something Saf had needed. Being younger than both Kevin and Sami, she followed in their footsteps into the business. She took a slightly different path, deciding about a year in that full time in-ring work wasn't for her and opting for more of a manager-like role most of the time. The two of them were still the two she looked up to and tried to emulate, especially Kevin, who taught her everything he knew about mic skills and working a crowd. If it wasn't for him, she's not sure she'd be as good of a heel manager as she is, and she stands by that, even if he denies it._

_"It's better with you though," she tells him and watches as his face visibly softens. "It's not going to be the same anymore."_

_"Yeah, well that was guaranteed when Sami left," Kevin mutters. "Now you're leaving me, too."_

_Safiya frowns. She wants to argue, tell him that's not the case. She'd never want to leave him behind. But in a way, she kind of is. So instead of protesting, she settles for, "I'm sorry, Kev. I'm really going to miss you."_

_He smiles, but it looks a little forced. "I know."_

_She doesn't know if he means he knows she's sorry, knows she's going to miss him, or both. She doesn't ask for clarification._  

_"Are you really only_ maybe _going to miss me?" she asks, raising her eyebrows at him._  

_The corner of his mouth quirks up as he steps forward, his hands moving from his pockets to the sides of Saf's face. He doesn't respond to her question with words at first, instead he answers her by pressing his lips to hers. Her own hands grab at his arms, wrapping around his wrists and keeping his hands in place on her face._

_It's not the first time they've ever kissed, but it's not something that's happened often. Safiya can count the times on one hand. Each time is the same though. Her heart's racing as if this is their first kiss, and there's a feeling of dread in her stomach as they pull away because she's fearful it's their last kiss. In the past, she's had this fear just because of how unstable and inconsistent her... thing, for lack of a better term, with Kevin is. Now, it truly is their last kiss. At least for awhile._

_She hopes it's just the last for awhile and not forever._

_Even as the kiss ends, they remain face to face, with Kevin's forehead now pressed to hers. "I'm gonna miss the hell out of you. No 'maybe' about it."_

 

* * *

 

Safiya sees Kevin for the first time in two years and feels frozen in place. She enters the performance center for her first official day as a NXT superstar and there he is, rolling out of a ring, wiping the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand. She suddenly feels like she's 21 again, sitting around the ring before a show, watching as Kevin and Sami bumped around together. When Kevin looks in her direction and their eyes meet, she thinks for a split second that he's going to pull her by the hand into the ring and try to teach her a few new moves. But after more than a second of looking at him, she knows that's not going to happen.

The playful, warm boy she had adored so isn't looking back at her. His stare's blank, almost like he doesn't even recognize her. There's no emotion, good or bad, whatsoever. The sick feeling in her stomach gets worse when instead of looking away from her, he starts to walk in her direction.

She doesn't know what to do. Honestly, she'd expected him to ignore her. After everything he did? How can he even talk to her?  

"Hey..." he says. His voice is soft at first, and again, Safiya is sent back to a place she's forbid herself from thinking about. "What are you doing here?"

She doesn't even open her mouth to try and respond, she has no idea what to say or how to react to being face to face with Kevin after all this time. She should have prepared for this moment more. 

Like a flip's been switched, a dirty grin slowly spreads on Kevin's face. "Oh, you're probably looking for Sami," he says. "Well, he's not here. Ask around though, someone can probably give you the address to the hospital I put him in." 

Safiya can't say anything back, can only stand there as he laughs ( _cackles_ ) and walks past her, their shoulders brushing as he leaves her standing in shock. 

 

**Author's Note:**

> Find me on Tumblr @kvinowens


End file.
